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“What earlier generations held as sacred, remains sacred and great for us too…” Pope Benedict XVI (7 July 2007)

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Views from the Choir Loft

“A Truly Eucharistic Hymn” • Christ the King (SATB)

Jeff Ostrowski · September 21, 2021

AVE YOU HEARD the hymn called Te Saeculorum Principem? In March, I posted five different English translations that can be sung using various melodies in the Brébeuf hymnal. The hymn was written for the institution of the feast of Christ the King in 1925. It was composed by Father Vittorio Genovési, hymnographer of the Sacred Congregation of Rites from 1942 until his death in 1967. The fifth verse explicitly references the Holy Eucharist: “For this, Thou art hidden on our altars under the form of bread and wine, and pour out on Thy children from Thy pierced side the grace of salvation.”

A Live Recording: My choir sang this hymn last Sunday, and I’m so proud of the progress they are making. Most of these singers do not read music, and many had no previous musical training. Our choir is 100% volunteer. If you want a reference, the hymn is #753 in the Brébeuf hymnal. Here’s a live recording:

Broken Hymns: If you have a copy of the Brébeuf hymnal, you realize that Pope Urban VIII destroyed the ancient Breviary hymns in 1629, with the help of four Jesuit poets. 1 Father Ulysse Chevalier (d. 1923) summarized the Urbanite revisions in these words: “the Jesuits have spoiled the work of Christian antiquity, under the pretext of restoring the hymns in accordance with the laws of metre and elegant language.” Every serious scholar who has ever looked at what Pope Urban VIII did has condemned his actions: Father Fortescue, Abbé Pimont, Monsignor Henry, and so forth.

Trying To Fix Them: The Second Vatican Council wanted to fix what Pope Urban VIII had done, so in paragraph 93 of Sacrosanctum Concilium they declared: “The hymns are to be restored to their original form.” However, the actual restoration left much to be desired, and someday I hope to write an article explaining what I mean by that. When it comes to Te Saeculorum Principem, the reformers “canceled” several of the verses. However, the Brébeuf editorial team—which spent years examining each hymn—did not eliminate those verses. Therefore, you can find the missing verses (deleted after Vatican II) inside the Brébeuf hymnal.


NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

1   The Jesuit poets who assisted Pope Urban VIII were: Father Mathias Casimir Sarbiewski (d. 1640), Father Famiano Strada (d. 1649), Father Tarquinio Galluzzi (d. 1649), and Father Girolamo Petrucci (d. 1669). Sometimes they only left a few words of the original hymns. In other cases, they completely re-wrote the hymn: e.g. Tibi Christe Splendor Patris for Michaelmas.

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

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Filed Under: Articles, Featured Tagged With: Christ the King, Eucharistic Hymn SATB, Hymn for Christ the King, Vittorio Genovesi SJ Last Updated: October 27, 2021

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About Jeff Ostrowski

Jeff Ostrowski holds his B.M. in Music Theory from the University of Kansas (2004). He resides with his wife and children in Los Angeles.—(Read full biography).

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Alabama Assessment!

We received this evaluation of Symposium 2022 from an Alabama participant:

“Oh, how the Symposium echoed the words of Cardinal Merry Del Val: …choosing only what is most conformed to Thy glory, which is my final aim. In one short and fast paced week, the faculty and attendees showed me the hand of God and our Lady working in our lives. The wide range of education—from Gregorian Chant, jazz modes in organ improvisation, to ‘staying sane’ while leading a choir—were certainly first-class knowledge from the best teachers of the art. However, the most powerful lesson was learning how to pray as a choir. The sacrifice of putting songs together, taking time to learn the sacred text, meditating on the church teaching through the chants, and gaining the virtues required to persevere in these duties were not only qualities of a choir but of a saint. The sanctification of the lives of the attendees was a beautiful outcome of this event … and that in itself is worth more than a beautifully-sung Solesmes style chant!”

—Jeff Ostrowski
PDF Download • Trinity Sunday (22 pages)

Feel free to download this Organ Accompaniment Booklet for Trinity Sunday (Second Vespers). Notice how the modes progress by number. Psalm 1 is mode 1; Psalm 2 is mode 2; Psalm 3 is mode 3; Psalm 4 is mode 4; Psalm 5 is mode 5. I am told by an expert that other feasts (such as Corpus Christi) are likewise organized by mode, and it’s called a “numerical office.”

—Jeff Ostrowski
10 June 2022 • “Official” rhythm of plainsong

I continue to search for the most beautiful way to present the “pure” Editio Vaticana scores. (Technically, the “pure” rhythm of the official edition is what everyone is supposed to use.) You can download my latest attempt, which is the Introit for this coming Sunday: Feast of the Most Holy Trinity. Because this is not an ancient feast, the Introit had to be adapted (perhaps around 750AD). Prior Johner says the adaptation is “not an entirely happy one.”

—Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

What earlier generations held as sacred, remains sacred and great for us too, and it cannot be all of a sudden entirely forbidden or even considered harmful.

— Pope Benedict XVI, Letter accompanying “Summorum Pontificum” (7/7/07)

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